Story interview

Last month, we reviewed the debut EP from Sheffield rockers Story – check out what they had to say when we caught up with them about the release, and how being a new band influences how they write.

First of all, can you introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about the music you make?
We are a 5 piece band made up of Bill Hobson-Vocals, Tom Walker-Bass/backing vocals, Matt Baxter- Guitar, Liam Gratton-Guitar and Chris Ogden- Drums. We believe in not only trying to make our sound good, but in trying to deliver the messages, emotions and meanings of our songs toward the listener, so that they can relate and interpret the song for themselves.

Tell us about the influences behind your forthcoming EP, The Divide.
When writing our own music, we try not to dwell on other artist’s sounds that influence us as we want to be as independent and as different as we can be. The main influence behind The Divide, was separation. We felt this subject affects so many people as there are so many types of separation. We can separate from each other; as loved ones, family, friends. We can also separate from ourselves, in becoming the person we always dreaded to become.

Was the link of division through the tracks a conscious choice?
It was actually after the songs had been written that we came up with the title for the EP. It was only late on until we realised that all the songs had a source of separation or division in them, hence The Divide.

Do you feel the tracks are more personal to you, or accessible to the masses?
As this was our first EP, we tried to make it less about us on a personal level and give it more generic meaning and feelings that we feel the majority of our listeners feel. With us all only being young, we haven’t fully experienced a large amount of pain through subjects such as love so we can’t really make these things personal. We felt if we wrote for the audience, they would enjoy the songs more.

What’s your song writing process?
It starts off as an idea on guitars, progresses to the drums, then gets finalised musically through all the editing of the structure of the song. Meanwhile Bill usually comes up with a catchy chorus to fit the song and toward the end of the process is when Bill, Tom and Chris sit down to write the verses.

What prompted you to write a more stripped back acoustic track for the EP?
We wanted a majority for our first EP. We have a heavy song, a fast song, an acoustic song, a catchy song and a fiddly song as we describe them. This was to appeal to a larger audience whilst also demonstrating our full potential as a band. We didn’t want every single song to sound the same, whilst also not wanting every single one to sound stupidly different.

And, finally, what’re your plans after the EP’s release?
We have already started writing and are in the process of editing and finish a handful of songs. Two of which have already been finished and we cannot wait to get out to our listeners.